Synthesizer do it yourself, Synth DIY or SDIY is about creativity, making, modifying, or repairing electronic musical instruments and related equipment yourself. Many people with an interest in electronics and music are now discovering that a Synth-DIY project is feasible.[1] More advanced synth DIYers design and build their own synthesizers. What’s needed is a design, parts and tools, and especially the skills.[2] Unless assembling relatively inexpensive circuits like the Atari Punk Console, synth DIY can be an expensive pastime.

This article, is intended as a top level page. You should be able to browse the whole wiki from here.

Contents

Ability and know-how

The single most important factor in synth DIY is your skills. You'll need to be able to read and understand circuit diagrams, identify electronic components, and fault-find non-working circuits.[3] The best way to learn is by building. Pick a small project to start with, to find out how you get on.[4]

Kits and PCBs

PAiA have been producing analogue synth kits since 1967. The PAIA Fatman is a complete synth to build from a proven design. It has two VCOs and a good VCF similar to that of the second-series ARP Odyssey. The schematics are easy to follow and anyone is allowed to build it providing they don't market it as their own.[2] There is a selection of links to bare PCBs and kits at Ken Stone's Modular Synthesizer site.

Things changed when ETI, in conjunction with a company called Powertran, released the design and a kit of parts for a single-oscillator synth called the Transcendant 2000. The article (by Tim Orr, formerly of EMS) was well planned, and Powertran provided everything you needed, down to the last nut and bolt, even including a mains plug. It was very popular, and spawned a range of synths including the Transcendant Polysynth, which was the kit-builder's Jupiter 8 without the memories. In 1979 ETI also published schematics for the Digisound 80 modular. This, like the Transcendant Polysynth, featured Curtis Electro Music synth chips. The CEM chips made kit building much easier.[2]

Bear in mind that magazine designs are frequently inaccurate or incomplete. The Practical Electronics Analogue Sequencer, for instance, published in April 1977, will not function correctly without the modifications published in September 1977.[2]

Schematics

The Moog Modular manual is huge and contains all the schematic diagrams and some of the setup and calibration notes, but beware. Although the designs are all there, some of them use parts which may be hard or impossible to get hold of. It also has to be said that some modules, such as the oscillators and envelope generators, were better implemented in later designs such as the second-series Minimoog, Prodigy and Rogue. Schematics for the latter two are extremely readable, as are the associated setup notes, and the circuits work.[2] Another synth from the past which makes a good construction project is the Oberheim SEM (Synthesizer Expansion Module). This synth isn't too difficult to construct, and features a voltage-controlled state-variable filter.[2]

Using circuits from a former commercial product, using a schematic from a service manual can also be problematic, as these too can contain errors.[7]

Books

Build a better music synthesizer by Thomas Henry was a good introduction to modular synthesizer construction. Electronic Music Circuits by Barry Klein describes the circuitry involved in modular synth design, in more depth. It is a good starting point to learn the technology as well as electronics in general.[2] However for both of these books some of the components may be no longer readily available.

Electronotes and Preferred Circuits Collection by Bernie Hutchins is the definitive DIY circuit & theory collection. Still in publication, although more DSP based.[4]

Wikipedia is a great resource. All About Circuits for well explained stuff. Doctronics is a good reference for ICs when you're not sure what something does. At Aaron's Synth DIY there is a list of useful parts. At Birth of a synth there are some DIY modules, with explanations, for example the VCO-1. Although it is better to practice with very simple circuits before starting this kind of project, even though this is a fairly simple circuit.[8]